‘Terminator Genisys’ A Fun, Timeline-Skewed Romp

Arnold Schwarzenegger followed through on his promise from 1984’s Terminator: to paraphrase, he is back.

Schwarzenegger is delightfully self-aware as he takes on a role that’s likely as familiar to him as the back of his own hand — the T-800 from the movie that started it all — and in Terminator Genisys, he carries on that role with a zeal that may make some wonder why it took him so long to return to the role. He knows he is at his brawny best when he is playing serious-faced musclemen, and Terminator Genisys is no exception. In Terminator Genisys, he is playing both a T-800 designed to protect Emilia Clarke’s Sarah Connor and the T-800 sent back in time to kill her, which leads to some great scenes where Schwarzenegger ends up fighting himself in spectacular style.

What’s likely the best part about Terminator Genisys is the fun that Schwarzenegger seems to have had in teasing the movie over the last several weeks.

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To be sure, the definitive Terminator — no offense to Robert Patrick’s T-1000 in Terminator 2 — has had a good time promoting Terminator Genisys, and he is truly back as the ultimate bad guy with a heart. While Terminator Genisys has had several mixed reviews — with an average rating of 4.7 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s not that great of a flick, according to critics — audiences have eaten up Schwarzenegger’s return as the T-800.

There’s even a surprise appearance by Matt Smith, one of the most beloved Doctors from Doctor Who, and with Clarke as the mother of humanity’s savior John Connor, Game of Thrones fans also get a taste of the Mother of all Dragons in a different context. Sure, she is still rolling her eyes over the battles that guys are waging over her, just like in Game of Thrones, but who cares? Terminator Genisys is not designed to give you any in-depth scientific understanding of our future; the storyline is far too convoluted and a little far-fetched for that, but that does not matter.

Terminator Genisys is a film that is made in the same vein as the original — it’s a true popcorn movie, and audiences are more than happy to see Schwarzenegger back in one of his most definitive roles of the 1980s, his action star heyday. To paraphrase Terminator Genisys’ Kyle Reese, the concept of time travel may make your head hurt, but the movie is laugh-out-loud, edge-of-the-seat fun.